Chargers strong start stifled by #7 Kellogg

PLYMOUTH (IN) – The Marian University Ancilla Baseball team knew they had their work cut out for them Thursday afternoon, as they welcomed to town the 7th-ranked Kellogg Bruins (ranking per the NJCAA Division II poll). Kellogg looked every bit of the obstacle, as they began the game by scoring 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning.
However, in the bottom of the 1st inning, the Chargers utilized consecutive 1-out singles by Freshman Devon Ortiz, Freshman Cade Quick, and Freshman Michael Fry to load the bases. Following a second out, with the bases still loaded, Redshirt Freshman Owen Negron hit a hard ground ball to centerfield, reaching safely with a single, while driving in Ortiz and Quick to cut the lead to 5-2. Sophomore Jaxson Hixson then reached via an error to once again load the bases.
Next, Sophomore Jose Paris stepped to the plate and hit a ground ball to shortstop, reaching safely at first base while driving in Fry, making it 5-3. Negron scored on error by the pitcher on a pickoff attempt, then Sophomore Kaleb Short followed with a walk to load the bases once more, and the score was trimmed to 5-4. Sophomore Logan Clark finished the rally with a walk of his own, scoring Hixson, and the Chargers had come all the way back in one inning to knot the game at 5 apiece.
In the second inning, the Chargers recorded three Bruin outs in a row, and things looked like they had turned their way. In the bottom half of the inning, MUAC got 2 runners aboard with just 1 out; however, a double play erased any attempt at scoring again, keeping it at an even 5-5.
From there, it was all Bruins in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings. Marian Ancilla managed just one base-runner…Paris singled in the bottom of the 3rd inning…but that was it. Over the final 3 innings, Kellogg managed a pair of home runs; they drove in 7 runs in the top of the 3rd inning, and they drove in 5 runs in the top of the 5th inning, for the 17-5 final score.